Propelling and steering means for power speed boats



July 3, 192s. 1,676,158

- W. J. ROE

PROE ELLING AND STEERING MEANS FOR POWER SPEED BOATS Filed Sept. 50, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 1v INVENTOR Wt [16am J-Roe ATTORNEYS July 3, 1923. 1,676,158

- W. J. ROE

PROPELLING AND STEERING MEANS FOR POWER SPEED BOATS Filed Sept. so, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR WTNESSES Zl/iltz'avnJZRo ATTORNEYS I Patented July 3, 1928.

i 1,. wILLI AM: J. Boner NEw uR m yomp rnornnnfne Aivn STEERING Means its rowan srEEn Bans.

Application mm September '30, 1926. fs'eriial 'vo. 138,750? Q :This invention relates to water-craft, and I V particular reference to a propelling and v steering means especially designed for'power sp'e'ed boats.

" tj One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide propelling and steering means which willoffer 'a minimum of re-v s'istancewh'erebya maximum speed may be IOj the propelling means. y More specifically the" invention compre:

'hends a propelling means in the nature ofa 'ffpair of propeller shafts having continuous "oppositely t 'spiralled blades which are so 15. positioned as to dispose onlythelower porp ftion or half thereof inthe water and the upper portion or'half above the water line, and in which the leading and following ends {of said blades are tapered off to eliminate -undue disturbance of said ends in entering or leaving the water. V The invention further contemplates a steering jmechanismincluding; a pair of laterally spaced 'reart rudder blades and f fori war d side deflector blades, each deflector blade and its corresponding rudder blade being coupled together for 'movement in unison whereby to facilitate the making of a'shorter turn and for-reducing to an absolute minimum the possibility of upsetting in i g aw The vinvent-ion further aims to provide a propelling and steering me'ans as set forth,

which is" not] unduly 'complicated,'jhence which is comparatively inexpensive to produce, and which is highly eflicient in its purpose. y

With the above recited'and' other objects in view, reference is ha'd to the following' specificationandaccompanying drawings, in

whichthere is exhibited one exampleor embodiment of the invention which is infno way intended as'a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims as' it is'to be clearly understood that variations and modifications V which properly'fall within the scope of said claims may be resortedto' when found expedient In the drawings j Figure 1 isabottom plan view of a boat equipped with a propelling and steering means constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the steering'means set for making afright-hand turn Fig; '2 is a side view thereof.

obtained from the power employed to drive Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the-steermg mechanism and 1ts controlling means;

Fig. t'isarearview; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail side; view particularlyillustrating one of the forward side deflector blades;

v Fig; 6 is a fragmentarytop plan view thereof. Q

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 10' designates the hull of the boat whichm'aybe of any desired formatiom the form shown being merely'illustrative; The

hull is preferably provided with n wardly inclined forward endorbow l1 and a recessed rear end or stern 12. The propelhng means consistsessentially of a pair] I or even numberof parallel propellershafts' 13 and'14, the rear ends'of which extend into the recessed stern or "rear end '12 of'the'hull 10, andvwhich ends of the propeller shaft are respectively formed with oppositely disposed spiral blades 15 andlfi, it being understood that the shafts are designed to be turned in opposite directions. The forward and rear extremities 17 and .18 of thebladesfare' tapered or inclined from theirj maximum central diameter to a point where they merge into the shaft. In practice it is intended that only the lower portion ,or half of each blade be disposed or submerged in the water while the upper or remaining halfbe disposed out of the water in'order to position only the active driving portion within the] water, thereby'decreasing or minimizing the resistance ofi'eredto the forwardtravel of the boat. The spiral blades are oppositely disposed andturn in contrary directions so that the tendency in one to turn the boat laterally may be balanced "by an equaland opposite tendencyin the other. The tapered off or inclined terminal ends 17 and 18 serveas a means for eliminatingundue disturbs ance of the ends in enterin'gor leaving the The steering mechanism includes a pair of laterally spaced rear-rudder blades- 19 and f 20and'forward sidedefiec'tor blades 21 and 22. The rear rudder blades 'aremounted on rudder posts or shafts 23'and 24, which are disposed respectively at approximately .a

same will be di spose d out of or above the 11c level of the water. It is obvious that when the rudder blades are swung transversely to the path oftravel of the boat, a portion due to their angular mounting, will be brought into contact with or submerged in the water flector blade in unison, and to this end the steering mechanism includes a controlling means consisting of a pair of steering wheels 28and 29. The steering wheel 28is mounted on a steering post 30, which is connected by a sprocket and chain connection 31 with a 1011- gitudinally extending shaft 32 mounted on i the left or port side of the hull. The shaft 32 is provided at its forward end with a miter gear 32 and at its rear end with a miter gear 34. ,The miter gear 33 meshes with theteeth of a segment 35 carried by the deflector blade shaft :25. The miter gear 34 meshes with a bevel pinion 36 on a shaft 37, which isprovided at its opposite end with a miter gear 38 meshing with the teeth of a segment 39 provided on the rudder post 23. The steering post i 30 preferably extends through the hollow steering post 40 of the steering wheel 29, and the hollow steering post 40 is connected by a sproCket-and-chain connection 41 with a shaft 42 mounted lonfgi tudinally on the right or starboard side of the hull 10. The shaft 42 is provided at, its forward and rear ends with miter gears 43 and 44, the former meshing with the teeth of a segment 45 secured to the upper end of the shaft 26 .of the right .deflector blade 22. The latter, miter gear 44 meshes with a beveled pinion 46 on a shaft 47 which is pro vided at its inner end with a miter gear 48 The miter gear 48 meshes with the teeth of a segment 49 which is secured to the upper end of the rudder post 24. V

In useandoperation, it is. assumed that the propellers turning in opposite directions will maintain the boatin a normally straight course in which instance both of the rudders and both of the deflector blades will be disposed in a normal inactive position out of contact with the water and will be used only in event of deviation from the true course or for the purpose of making aturn. If a right turn is to be made, the steering wheel '28 is manipulated to swing the rudder 19 downwardly as illustrated, and, at the same time, to swing the deflector blade 21 outwardly and downwardly, the combined action of which blades will serve to facilitate positely driven oppositely spiralled blades,

of a steering mechanism, including a pair of rudder blades each mountedupon alaterally angular fulcrum in rear of eachofthepropellers, each of said blades normally swung to an inactive position abovethe water and swingable to an active position in the water. 7

2,. The combination with a boat having propelling means consisting of a pair of'oppositely driven oppositely spiralled blades, of a steering mechanism includinga pair of rudder blades each mounted upon a later ally angular fulcrum in therear of each of the propellers, each of said bladesnormally swung to an inactive [position above the water and swingable to an active position in side deflector blades adjacent the bow of the boat. I

3. The combination with a boat having propelling means consisting of a pair of oppositely driven oppositely spiralledj blades,

of a steering mechanism including a pair of rudder blades each mounted upon a laterally angular fulcrum in the rear of each of the propeller-s, each of said blades normally swung to an inactive position above the water and swingable to an active position in the water, a pair of angularly mounted side deflector blades adjacent the bow of the boat, and means of connection between the rudder and deflector blades of each side, respectively. c

4. A steering mechanism for boats, including a pair of rudder blades each mounted upon a laterally angular fulcrum, each of said blades adapted to be normally swung to an inactive position above the water line and swingable to an active submerged position in the water.

5. A steering mechanism for boats, in-

the water, and a pair of angularlymounted eluding a pair of angularly mounted rudder blades, each normally swung to an inactive position above the water line and swingable to an activesubmerged position in the water, a pair of angularly mounted side deflector blades adjacent the forward end of the boat,

means of connection between the rudder and deflector blades of each side, respectively,

and independent means for actuating each set of rudder and deflector blades.

WILLIAM J. ROE. 

